Imperfection
by infractus monumentum
Summary: [AU. No Sakura.] Summary inside. Rated T for future violence, crimes, and language. Rating may go up.
1. Enter Hajime Aiyuri!

**Imperfection**

**(AU – No Sakura. Supernatural Occurences)**

Aiyuri was the only female member of Team 7. When Sasuke's glances become a little more than friendly, and Naruto's attraction to her becomes more than , she decides that the Konoha shinobi life is not for her. Enter Itachi, who introduces her to Akatsuki, and a new life full of supernatural oddities she never imagined were real.

**Chapter I**

"**Enter Hajime Aiyuri!"**

**-**

**-**

Electric green hues, hooded by thick eyelashes, were bright as the young woman entered her classroom door. Aqua hair – a trait that made her stand out as always – fell neatly to her mid-back, decorated in small braids that at the end of each her a miniature kunai, about an inch long. She was dressed in a mesh bodysuit that covered her entire body, with a black tube top and black mini shorts underneath. On both of her thighs she had a kunai/shuriken holster, showing that she was ambidextrous.

"Aiyuri-chan!" Naruto was yelling to her from the third row of seats.

"Nani, Naruto-kun?" Her eyes met the ocean hues of her best friend, as he waved for her to join him.

-

"_Are you okay," She had only been six, she hadn't known. "Little fox boy?" The whiskers, that was why she had said it. She though they were cute.  
_

_The sniffling little boy looked up at her, eyes wide. "You… You're talking to me?"_

"_Of course I'm talking to you!" She smiled. "Why wouldn't I?"_

"_Nobody else does…" He looked down, a tone of intense sorrow lacing his voice._

"_Well, I'm not anyone else! I'm Aiyuri!" She plopped herself down next to him, ignoring the shocked whispers that came from the group of bullying children around them. "Wanna be friends?"_

"_But your parents will…get mad, won't they?" The blonde was confused. The group around them parted, words like "demon" and "loser" traveling back to the pair. None of the kids had any clue what they were talking about, all their anger had been picked up from their parents._

"_My mommy and daddy are dead… I was just a little baby. I wouldn't listen to them anyways, you're my best friend!"_

"_I am?" The concept was foreign to Naruto, but once he grasped it, a large grin swept across his features. "Really?!"_

"_Yup!"_

-

"I saved a seat for you!" He smiled widely, eyes crinkling in mirth.

"Arigatou!" She bounded up the steps, sitting in a seat between the blonde and Uchiha Sasuke.

That didn't go over too well.

"Freak! Get out of that seat! You don't deserve to sit next to the amazing Sasuke-kun!" The voice was a wheedling girl's – Ino. The blonde kunoichi screamed at the other girl, her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Hey! Stop being mean to Ai-chan!" Naruto stood up in front of his friend, blocking her from the angry glares of every female in class class, save Hinata.

"Naruto-kun… Let's just move. It's too cold over here anyways…" She glared at the Uchiha next to her.

-

_Now eight, the little girl bounced happily along the road on her way to her apartment. In her hand she held a ball – she had just come from playing with Naruto in the park. Not watching where she was going, she ran into another body and fell on her rump. "G-Gomen nai!" She looked up and was met with a flat gaze._

"_You're clumsy." Sasuke looked down at her, like one might at a homeless man who had just bumped into them. "Baka."_

"_Nanda?!" She got up, dusting herself off. "You're a jerk!"_

"_And you're stupid. I really don't care." He turned away and began walking as he was before, his back to her._

"… _Che – teme." _

-

Indifferent eyes flicked to meet hers, and the ebony-haired prodigy scoffed and looked away.

Standing, the blue-haired kunoichi grabbed Naruto's arm gently, and pulled him into the center aisle. From there they proceeded to the top row, and sat in the corner, both casting disdainful eyes upon the rest of the room.

Their empty spots soon were fought over by the Sasuke-fans.

--

--

It was their final exam – doppelgangers. Naruto's _favorite_ (note sarcasm, please.) jutsu.

-

Of course, he was the only one who failed.

After the graduation ceremony, Aiyuri couldn't find him. She had tied her headband over her forehead, but it wasn't comfortable, so she switched it to her left thigh, just above her holster. Soon she reached the group who were whispering and pointing at the lone boy who failed, as he sat forlornly on a swing.

She walked over, quiet. "Naruto-kun…"

"…Congratulations, Ai-chan." He tried to force a smile for her, but it didn't work. The attempt was noted, though, and she threw her arms around him.

"You'll make it next time, Naru-kun! I know you will! It was just because it was doppelgangers, is all!"

His voice was muffled against her shoulder. "I'm a failure, Aiyuri…"

"No you're not!" She held him at arms length. "Look – I'll help you work on them, okay? Once we're done, Iruka-sensei will _have_ to let you graduate!"

"A-Arigatou, Ai-chan…" He smiled, weakly.

"No problem, Naruto. We're best friends, remember?"

"Always."

-

Okay, how'd you guys like it?

Please review, or I'll cry…


	2. Memories

**Imperfection**

Chapter 2

Memories

-

-

**One year later.**

So in the end, Sasuke just left… She didn't think that was how it was supposed to go.

It was pouring rain… And she followed him – begging him not to go. In such a short amount of time, the members of team seven had gone from a pair of lonely kids and the one they hated, to a trio of pre-teens that relied on each other immensely.

He had only said two words to her… his apology sounding foreign to her ears. He never apologized – no, not once in his life. Not even when he made her cry for the first time of their rookie year, when Haku almost killed him. No, not even when he and Naruto had fought, and the only thing that pulled them apart was her screaming – sobbing, more like it – and Kakashi's hands. Not on semblance of an apology had ever graced the cold Uchiha's lips… Until the day he left. A quick embrace and she was unconscious.

As she lay on that bench, her dreams were merely memories…

-

-

"_Team Seven will be Hajime Aiyuri, Uzumaki Naruto…"_

"_Yatta!" In unison, the two cried out, grinning and exchange a look of barely contained glee._

"… _and Uchiha Sasuke."_

"_NANDA?!" The same pair that had been so happy before were now outraged. A quartet of eyes, two blue, two green, glared down at the indifferent prodigy. _

"_Kuso!" Naruto swore under his breath._

"_Iruka-sensei?! Was there a mistake?!"_

"_No, Aiyuri. You'll just have to live with it."_

-

-

_Sasuke, impaled by so many senbon. He seemed to be dead._

_-_

_-_

_Naruto, bending over him, his body swirling with orage-red chakra, the whiskers on his cheeks becoming bolder, angrier – his eyes, blood red._

_-_

_-_

_She had merely guarded the target. She had no choice._

_-_

_-_

_The peaceful funeral that both Haku and Zabuza had been given._

_-_

_-_

_The snowflakes falling around them. The abbreviated prick of cold her tongue had felt when she stuck it out to swallow one._

_-_

_-_

_On the way home. "You still have weird hair." Sasuke's voice had almost been amused as he smoothly made a comeback._

"_At least it doesn't look like a chicken's nest, Uchiha." Mutter – mutter. She never could beat him at that game. Sarcasm was the natural lilt his voice took, no matter what he said. It was his first language, the protective barrier that she and Naruto had finally broken through._

"_Stop picking on Ai-chan!"_

"_Che."_

_-_

_-_

_The Forest Of Death – where Sasuke's protective feelings towards her showed – and almost killed someone. _

_Where she learned the cost of failure could mean her life._

_When the pieces of her world started to crumble, but she ignored it._

_-_

_-_

_Where she realized that her talents could not rival those of her 'brothers' – Naruto and Sasuke. _

_-_

_-_

_But they **did** make it so that she could kick** some** ass, at least. _

_-_

_-_

_Her perfect world crumbled – and she couldn't stop it._

_-_

_-_

She woke up screaming.

-

-

_Tokiori za nikui shina ken za todashii shina are ze onaji._

-

-

(Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.)

-

-

That's when she started to move on. A little piece of her began to distrust the world, and with that little piece, there came a whole lot of pain.

-

-

_Owari_

_ ...tbc..._

_-_

_-_

A/N: I shouldn't be updating.. One person has reviewed - or maybe two, I don't know. Thank you _ **flynnfriend**_ for being cool. I will need 20 reviews (I don't care of what nature. flames, good - it's all the same to me.) before I update again.


	3. New Moon

**Imperfection**

**Chapter 3**

**New Moon**

**-**

**-**

The next day was a complete blur to her. Sasuke was officially declared missing nin after she alerted Tsunade. A team of ninja, Neji, Naruto, Shikamaru, Shino, Choji, and Kiba, was sent to retrieve the prodigy before he fell into the wrong hands.

-

Aiyuri was numb. Not physically so, no, but mentally. When Naruto told her he was leaving to bring back 'that idiot Sasuke-teme', she just sat looking blankly at a wall. After he left, she blacked out in her living room – which is where TenTen found her, and brought her to her current location. The hospital.

She was numb – her mind was blank. It wasn't as if she were catatonic, it was more like she was completely devastated. Her friends tried, and tried… each failing miserably at bringing her out of this condition. Soon, they stopped trying.

It was one o'clock in the morning when she finally 'woke'. The choking cries of a small child brought her from her reverie. Looking down at the needle in her arm (it was feeding her), she grimaced at pulled it out, switching off the drip. Rummaging beneath her bed for a bandage, she quickly fixed herself before seeking out the injured person.

After almost getting lost, she found the lobby, where a pre-teen girl sat, now only sniffling loudly with fat tears plopping onto her lap. She held her arm, which was twisted at an odd angle and cut, in her lap.

"What happened?" Her own voice sounded foreign to her.

It simply scared the little girl. She inhaled sharply, not knowing that there was anyone with her. "I – I…" She looked positively ashamed.

"It's okay, you know. I'm here to help." She worked what she thought was a soothing tone into her voice.

Apparently it worked, because the little girl broke down in tears again- relieved.

"My daddy – he – he got drunk again, and he came home – and – and…"

"Your father did this to you?!" The young woman knelt next to the little girl. "What's your name?"

"K-Karei…"

"Okay, Karei. This might hurt a little bit, but I have to move your bone back so I can heal it – okay?"

"Are you a doctor?"

"No – but I know what I'm doing. And I'll make sure your daddy never does this to you again, okay?"

"Uh-huh…" The little girl only winced as the older one moved the bone into its proper position.

Focusing, Aiyuri wielded her chakra skillfully, aiding bone marrow production, mending the broken bone and healing the superficial scratches. Probing around the girl's body a slight bit, she pushed the other bruises and cuts to heal. With a sigh, she finished, a slight sweat working up on her forehead.

"What do you think you're doing?" Suddenly,. Shizune was there, watching the shinobi and the young girl with wide eyes.

"I-I…" Aiyuri stuttered, flustered.

"She fixed my arm!" Karei proudly held out her arm for the woman's inspection.

"How did you know how to do that, girl? No – wiat, let the Hokage ask you. Report to her office immediately."

"The girl comes with me." Aiyuri's voice was suddenly stony.

"…She'll stay here to make sure she was healed properly." Shizune's voice was authoritative, as if daring the girl to go against her.

She dared. Her eyes narrowed, and her voice was icy. "She was healed perfectly fine. She comes with me, or I don't go."

"…" Shizune was suddenly frightened by the rather imposing creature before her. "… Whatever." No matter, she was only saving face.

"Fine. Come with me, Karei." A hand was held out to the youngster.

The younger girl took it, and with a quick glance from Shizune to her new friend, she followed the teen girl obediently.

-

Tsunade stared at the girls before her, eyes traveling from the younger one's arm, to Aiyuri's eyes. "How did you know how to do that? Healing bones is complicated – many of my jounin nurses can't even do that completely!"

"…I'm in Team Seven. My partners are male – and rowdy ones at that. I spent a month in the library, researching how to heal."

"You're lucky it was her arm – it's the easiest bone to work with."

"I know… If she had had anything else broken, I probably would have passed out – or just not been able to heal it completely. But I didn't want her to have to wear a cast."

"I see…" _This girl is remarkable…_ "How did this happen to you, Karei?" the Hokage turned to the fidgeting child, who in turn gripped her friend's hand more tightly. "I-I… My daddy…" she sounded very small – sort of how she felt.

"Your father? What-"

"He beat her. He came home drunk and he beat her… I will not allow her to go back to her home. She can stay with me until you throw him in jail, and find her a new family."

Tsunade was amazed at this girl's audacity. Telling the Hokage what to do? Not asking? She would go far – or end up hung. "…You said Team Seven, right?"

"… Yes."

_That explains it._ "Where do you currently reside, Aiyuri?"

"I live with Naruto."

"… He's currently on a mission, no?"

"Sent to retrieve Sasuke."

"The girl may stay with you tonight. I will have a family for her in the morning."

"Arigatou – Hokage-sama." With a smile, Aiyuri and Karei turned to leave.

"Oh, and Aiyuri?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" The girl looked over her shoulder, pausing.

"Report to my office tomorrow. I have an offer that might interest you."

-

-

Sukeji Iroto – Karei's father, was exiled. It was reported that he was ambushed by an unfamiliar ninja or group of ninja outside of Konoha's border – and killed.

That was, of course, because Tsunade was the one who investigated.

The unfamiliar ninja sat in her office at that moment, reading a document – her first assignment as Tsunade's protégé.

-

-

Karei was happy with her new home, and new name. She planned on joining the ninja academy, just like her hero and 'older sister' – Aiyuri.

She practiced writing her name as she sat at the kitchen table – _Haruno Karei._

-

-

This chapter is dedicated to IAmAurora.

Thank you for the single-most wonderful review I've ever received.

Preview:

_So, now that Aiyuri has become Tsunade's pupil – two years pass yet again. This is where the real story begins: Sasuke returns, stronger and deadlier than ever before. What he wasn't planning on was coming face to face with the one girl he could stand – and realizing that standing her isn't all he's capable of. But she seems to belong to Naruto: The jinchuuriki and his best friend are closer than ever before since their partner's betrayal…And their own two year period of being apart._


	4. Distance

**Imperfection**

**(Distance)**

**(_Don't let the memories fade, no don't let them die, just put them in a little chest and lock them deep inside. One day you might need them, you might need them never again, but just in case don't make too much haste and never forget no never forget.)_**

**-**

Two years. In two years, a lot can happen.

-

God, did she ever know that. Your body fills out, your hair grows longer – you gain monstrous strength, an insane amount of medical ability, and mind-blowing chakra control.

And you grow up to be a completely different person.

-

Lime-colored eyes squinted against the sun. Aqua hair was held up with a black ponytail, and it still fall almost to her hips. She was dressed in baggy black pants, and a dark jounin vest – the darkness of her attire offsetting her lightly tan complexion and hair color. She just got of her lastest mission, but when she heard the news…

_He_'s _coming back!_

…she didn't feel like going home at all. She was determined to sit here and wait.

-

-

Because she loved him.

-

-

"Ai-chan?" A confused voice. He sounded so much older – but he was still the same.

"Naruto-kun!" She ran towards him, tackling him to the ground. Tears - joyful – were leaking from her eyes. She buried her head in his shoulder, breathing in deeply – miso ramen, and that alluring boy-scent she could never name.

"Ai-chan! Getoffa me!" He was only joking. The weight on his body was comfortable… He liked it. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he chuckled quietly – completely content to lay here in the grass with her.

When did the line of their friendship blur into… something more?

-

-

_The blonde looked down at the ground, blue eyes shadowed. "I couldn't bring him back…"_

"_It's fine, Naruto." A small smile graced her features, and she stepped forward, hugging him. "As long as you're back, that's all I can ask for."_

"_Huh?" _

"_I couldn't bear to lose both of you…" She shook her head – and her voice was shaking as well."_

"_Ai?"_

"_I love you, Naruto. You're… Both of you were… Are… like my brothers. Every day that you're gone, feels like a month… You've always been there for me – how am I supposed to live without you?" Sasuke's betrayal had left her weak… she was afraid to trust anyone anymore. Though her heart was broken, she was able to place a façade on every day – so no one else would know._

"…_Like a brother?" He couldn't help the bitterness that leaked into his voice._

_Her eyes widened. _

_-_

_-_

_("Ai-chan, look at me!" Another stupid stunt.)_

_-_

_-_

_("Ai!" A huge grin. "Look!")_

_("Shut up, dobe." Sasuke glared over at the blonde, who was making weird faces out of the hotel window.)_

_(Aiyuri only giggled. Boys will be boys.)_

_-_

_-_

_("Aiyuri!")_

_-_

_-_

_("Ai-chan!")_

_-_

_-_

_("Look at me!")_

_-_

_("Look at me!")_

_-_

"_Naruto?" She pulled back slightly, her eyes wide. The look in his eyes – it almost hurt her. _

"…_It's nothing." He looked down and away._

"…_Naruto." She shook him slightly – forcing him to look at her. "What's wrong?"_

"_Forget it." He walked away._

_-_

_-_

_Two weeks later._

"_Hey, Ai-chan… The pervert-sennin is going to train me!" He was so proud._

"_That's great, Naruto! Let's go get ramen!"_

"…_I can't – we're leaving tonight."_

"_Leaving?" _

"…_I'll be gone for a while."_

"_How… how long?"_

"… _Two years."_

-

-

In two years, a lot can happen. Maturity can set in, your feelings can work themselves out. You realize a lot when the person you love is gone for two years.

Like, who that person is, for instance.

-

The line begins to blur – friendship, or more? If you choose friendship, sometimes things can be awkward… And you'll always have the possibility of losing them to someone else. The possibility of… forgetting.

The line blurred. And she knew what he wanted.

But was she too late?

They were just laying there, Aiyuri's body half on top of Naruto's. Their arms were wrapped around each other, and they were comfortable.

"…You two enjoying yourselves?" Jiraiya just _had_ to show up, didn't he?

Cheeks flaming, Aiyuri pushed herself up, standing quickly just as Naruto did. "Uh…we're…"

"Go away, pervert." Naruto playfully glared at his new sensei, pushing him back. "Tsunade-baa-chan is going to want you to report on my training… or something."

"Hai, hai, Naruto. You're so pushy." The older man turned to the young woman standing next to Naruto. "You're Aiyuri, right? I've heard a lot about you – both from Tsunade and this idiot here."

"Really?" Her blush deepened.

"Yeah. Don't you go breaking his heart, okay? He doesn't need it. He's enough of a girl already."

"Huh?"

"Senseeeiii!" Eye twitching, Naruto punched the sennin.

Jiraiya went flying backwards – disappearing in a puff of smoke. In his place flew a log.

"Stupid pervert." Naruto grumbled and shoved his hands in his pockets – a move so very Sasuke-like that Aiyuri had to cover her mouth to hide the hurt smile.

"You talk about me?" She spoke after the look left her face.

"Of course! You're my best friend…"

"…Best friend?" Now she sounded like he had, two years before.

"Ai?"

"…Hmmm?" She looked away.

"What's wrong?" He moved so that he was standing in front of her.

_Oh, he's taller than me now._ "Nothing." She shrugged.

"…You always were a bad liar."

"…" Suddenly, she looked up, and in the same move, she pressed her lips against his. His eyes widened for a moment, and then dropped closed. _Ai-chan…_

_**Arigatou… **_

-

-

_She devoted herself to her work while he was gone. Every day – her schedule was training, studying, and then more training. Tsunade had to force her to take breaks to eat, and also forced her to stay at home some days so she couldn't over-exert herself._

_She was trying to block her mind. Her friends, teammates… she lost them both within a month of each other. One to betrayal, but both of their own free will._

_Sometimes she would sit at home and think about it, and realize what growing up was about. You had to have a tough skin to make it in the world of ninja – so she had better grow one, fast. Because being a ninja was the only thing she could – and knew how – to be. _

_-_

_She barely had time to heal herself anymore – she was too busy healing the others. Ignoring the rough cut of a kunai across her chest, she pumped chakra into another member of her squad, eyes quickly growing weary._

"_Gomen…nai…Aiyuri-chan." Beneath her hands lay Kiba, who was struggling to talk as she mended his ribcage._

"_Forget about it, Kiba. Just don't move too much – I don't want to heal you wrong and have you breathe and puncture your lung."_

"…_Don't mince words – do you?" Shino was suddenly next to her._

"_That's basically the gist of it, I think. You dance around the problem, and everyone gets confused." She knew what he was trying to do – he was keeping her awake. With a look of gratitude, she finished healing her current patient, who shakily stood and disappeared in a cloud of smoke._

"… _Be careful, Hajime-san. Konoha can't afford to lose such a highly prized medic-nin at this time." With a nod, Shino evaporated as well._

_-_

_Ten minutes later, she was ambushed. Two ninja came at her from behind while three others waited a moment to try and catch her in a genjutsu. _

_Within five minutes, five corpses lay around her._

_That's when she met Uchiha Itachi._

_-_

"_Good job, little girl." A voice came from behind her._

"_Na…" A sharp scream was ready on her tongue, but it died when she locked eyes with the older teen. "…ni?"_

_A grim chuckle rumbled deep in the Uchiha's throat. "Blue hair… You're the one they say was friends with my dear little brother. How is he?"_

"…_He…He's gone." She found her voice. "… He's coming to kill you." Her tone was sharp – cold. This man was the reason her world was crumbling._

"_Really? That's amusing."_

"_Amusing?"_

"…_Yes. He has no chance of defeating me if his thoughts lie elsewhere."_

"_Nani?"_

_Itachi gestured to her neck, where a necklace could be seen. It was a silver chain, upon which hung a shuriken pendant with the Uchiha fan on the points. _

"_What's so special about this?"_

"_It was my father's."_

"…"

_A kunai came from behind her, aimed at Itachi's head. Before it made contact, though, the Akatsuki member was gone._

_Kiba erupted from the foliage behind her. "Are you okay?"_

"_Yes."_

"_That was – that was…"_

"…_Yep." She shrugged._

"_Why are you acting so cool?! He could have killed you!" _

"…_I'm starting to wonder if that's a bad thing."_

_-_

_She never slept anymore. Her medical abilities kept the bags under her eyes from ever appearing, but most people could tell. She was practically dead on her feet._

_-_

_Soon she stopped eating, Tsunade noticed. At that point, she decided to intervene._

_-_

"_Did you get the ramen I sent you last night?" Tsunade sat behind her desk, eyeing her pupil._

"_Yes, it was delicious. Arigatou." Her voice was hollow._

"…_I sent dumplings."_

"_Nani?"_

"_You haven't eaten in two weeks, Aiyuri. You're extremely weak, and you're beginning to show bone. All of your clothes are baggy on you! What's wrong?"_

"…_Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I have too eaten…The last thing I had was…. Uhm…"_

"_You can't remember, can you?" _

"…"

"_Promise me you'll eat from now on."_

"…_I promise, sensei."_

"_Arigatou."_

_-_

_A week later, she was brought to the hospital by Hinata, who found her unconscious at the training grounds. _

_-_

_Two days later, she awoke in a hospital room, nutrients being fed to her through an IV drip. Tsunade sat next to her, eyes narrow. "You almost died."_

"…"

"_Is that what you want, Aiyuri?! Do you want to die?! Do you want Naruto to come home and find out that while he was gone, you starved yourself to death?! Do you know what that would do to him?! He may be obnoxious most of the time, but anyone can see that he loves you!"_

"…_Whatever." She faced away, eyes closed._

"…_Do **not** begin to act like the Uchiha, either." Tsunade noticed the girl flinch visibly at the mention of Sasuke._

_To Aiyuri, it felt like the Hokage had prodded a raw nerve with a white-hot needle._

"_You're being given a two-week vacation. If you don't come back completely healthy, I will strip you of your shinobi status in this village. That, and I will never allow you to practice any kind of medical care of any person under the protection of a citizen of Konoha. If you can't take care of yourself, how am I to expect you to take care of others?" Tsunade stood, and left the room without another word._

…_The tears began._

_-_

_Nobody knew where she went for those two weeks. And if asked, you would only receive a cold look. _

_-_

_Needless to say, she was not stripped of her ranks. Another ten months passed by, and she was…_

_-_

…here. Lips locked with Uzumaki Naruto, her best friend… and something more.

After a few moments, she pulled away, blushing furiously. "G-Gomen nai, Nar-"

She was cut off by another kiss. This time it was more urgent, with Naruto nibbling on her bottom lip lightly to gain access to her mouth. When she gasped softly, his flicked his tongue in, grazing her own before pulling out again and meeting hers halfway. As she put her arms around his neck, he slid his around her waist, forming a quick hand seal behind her back.

About fifty copies of him exploded into existence around them, forming a bunshin wall.

With the added privacy, he slid his hands down her back, one resting in the small of her spine and the other cupping one cheek of her behind, both pulling her forward more tightly against him.

About ten minutes later, they both completely ran out of air. (Chakra had been aiding, so far.)

Heart pounding and breath racing, Aiyuri burrowed her head against his chest.

He grinned, hugging her loosely. "I take it that was a 'welcome back', right?"

"No, it was a 'get out of my sight', what do you think?" Her voice was playfully sarcastic.

"I missed you too."

"You can tell I missed you? How's that possible?" A blush still stained her cheeks as she looked up at him.

"Hmm… Maybe it was the fact that you sexually attacked me within moments of seeing me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Uzumaki. It wasn't moments."

"At least I'm not complaining." He chuckled quietly.

"…Yeah, at least you're not complaining." She pulled out of his embrace, shaking her head. "I can't believe that just happened." She fell back into the grass, hands behind her head.

"…Me either." He laid down next to her, propping his head up with one hand.

"…You… You're different." She looked over at him, eyes narrowed in a style akin to concentration.

"Huh?"

"…You're more mature. The old Naruto would have freaked out and acted like an idiot. You grew up, didn't you?"

"…You don't mince words, do you?"

"…So I've been told."

"…I wasn't _that_ much of an idiot, was I?"

"…Yeah, you were."

"…You're right." He smiled. "I guess you grow up really fast when you're babysitting a drunk, perverted old man all the time."

"…I guess." _Sort of like you do when you almost give up on life…_

"I'm glad that it happened now, then, I guess. Even though it hurt to wait so long…"

"…Huh?"

"…You're dense, aren't you?"

-

"_He may be obnoxious most of the time, but anyone can see that he loves you!"_

-

"I guess so…"

"…What made you change your mind?"

"I don't think I ever changed my mind."

"Huh?"

"…It's confusing." She waved a hand to indicate she didn't want to talk about it.

"Fine." For a moment he looked torn, and then he made up his mind. "Do you ever think about Sasuke?"

"…!" Her eyes widened. "N-no… Not really, why?"

"…No reason."

"Oh… Okay." Looking up at the darkening sky, she gasped. "Crap! I have to go home! I forgot to feed Shoushi!"

"…Shoushi?"

"You'll see. Come on!" She got quickly to her feet, and grinned mischievously. "Race you there!" She took off, merely a blur.

"Hey! You cheated!" Laughing, the blonde got to his feet instantaneously, taking off as well.

_Tokiori za nikui shina ken za tadashii shina are za onaji…_

_-_

A/N: I know, Naruto was really out of character in this chapter – but that's okay.

It was sort of fast, too, I'm sorry. I just had to finally put the OCNaruOC goodness in there… Because it makes it all the better when problems are thrown in, if they take it on as a couple.

I hope I got the characterization in the Aurora wanted…

Enjoi!

Revieeewwwww!

P.S.

By the way, Naruto is a lot more mature in this fic. Oh, and he's in the clothes he wears after the time skip in the manga. And he's not naïve, either. So expect more romance. : )


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